Pilates - Rolling Like a Ball

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Dori Markakos
 

Dori is an experienced fitness professional whose love of fitness began in grade school with her love of dance and ballet. She’s danced classical ballet since she was 5. As her interest in fitness grew, she began experimenting with all varieties of group fitness and weight lifting. Dori went the practical route to college and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a specialization in Marketing from the University of Virginia’s School of Commerce, but not before receiving her fitness instructor certification in her spare time. After college, Dori went to work for Environmental Design & Construction, LLC (EDC) where she is presently the Controller. In this position, Dori serves as the company’s chief business officer. But, Dori’s heart is in the field of fitness. Dori maintains her certifications and puts them to work as a personal trainer, spinning and Pilates (mat and reformer) instructor. As part of her career development, Dori also received specialty training in pre and post natal fitness, with a specialization in pre/post natal Pilates. Dori currently works with clients as Pilates instructor, while keeping up with her own workouts. She’s run multiple marathons and is an accomplished triathlete having run numerous triathlons as well having completed the Ironman Triathlon. Dori resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Peter and daughter Mia.

Pilates - Rolling Like a Ball

Certified Pilates instructor, Dori Markakos will take you through a complete beginners Pilates workout. This video is designed for someone just starting out in Pilates and wants to learn the basic postures, alignments and positions, all the while getting a great work out that will tone and lengthen their entire body.

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Transcripts

Hi! I am Dory, your personal Pilates instructor, and right now, I am going to show you how to roll like a ball. So, go ahead and come towards the edge of your mat, take a big, deep breath in, and as you exhale I want you to go ahead and grab your hamstrings, pulling your knees towards the middle of your body. Now actually if you like to you can actually place both hands on top of your shins, or underneath your hamstring, whichever feels more comfortable to you, as long as you are balanced right here on your sitz bone.

So, you are not rocking back, and you are not rocking forward with those toes touching the floor, you are balanced right here on those little bones on the back of your body. So, sitting up nice and tall, inhale and exhale, round out your spine, tucking your chin to your chest, keeping those knees together and your feet together, big, deep breath in, and as you exhale, you are going to roll right back to the top of your spine, and you are going to come up, pause, pause, without those feet touching the floor. Inhale and exhale, roll back, come up, pause, pause, so just like everything in Pilates, we do everything eight to ten times, nice and comfortable just where you feel comfortable. Inhale and then exhale. Inhale and exhale, two more times, inhale and exhale and one more time. Good. Come up. Pause, pause, release your feet, and let's go ahead and move on.

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